On Approaching Relevant Cost-Effective Sustainable Maintenance of Mineral Oil-Filled Electrical Transformers

Fire and explosion accidents of oil-filled electrical transformers are leading to negative impacts, not only on the delivery of energy, but also on workplace health and safety as well as the surrounding environment. Such accidents are still being reported, regardless of applying the regular maintenance strategy in the power plants. The purpose of this paper is to integrate a sustainability perspective into the maintenance strategy. The problem addressed is: how can we approach the relevant cost-effective sustainable maintenance for oil-filled electrical transformers? For this purpose, an empirical study in a power plant in Kuwait was introduced. The first stage was to carry out a sustainability assessment using the ABCD procedure. In this procedure, gaps to approach sustainability were identified and actions prioritized to close these gaps were demonstrated. Applying this procedure yielded an early fault diagnosis (EFD) model for achieving cost-effective sustainable maintenance using a fault trend chart based on a novel numerical method. Implementing this model resulted in an extension of the lifetime of transformers with suspected failure propagation, leading to a deferral of the replacement investment costs. The principal conclusion of this paper is the importance of viewing the maintenance strategy of transformers from a strategic sustainability perspective, in order to approach relevant cost-effective sustainable maintenance.

[1]  Karl-Henrik Robèrt,et al.  Tools and concepts for sustainable development, how do they relate to a general framework for sustainable development, and to each other? , 2000 .

[2]  D. J. Allan.  Fires and explosions in substations , 2002, IEEE/PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exhibition.

[3]  G.C. Stone,et al.  Partial discharge diagnostics and electrical equipment insulation condition assessment , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[4]  A. Bagheri,et al.  Navigating towards sustainable development: A system dynamics approach , 2006 .

[5]  Hye-Min Choi,et al.  Recycling of transformer oil contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) using catalytic hydrodechlorination , 2009, Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering.

[6]  K. Liland,et al.  Study of oxidation and hydrolysis of oil impregnated paper insulation for transformers using a microcalorimeter , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[7]  Rick Mendler,et al.  Electrical equipment maintenance 101 , 2011, 2011 Record of Conference Papers Industry Applications Society 58th Annual IEEE Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference (PCIC).

[8]  Study of copper corrosion in transformers due to sulphur in oil using chemical methods , 2012, 2012 Annual Report Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena.

[9]  Malgorzata Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek,et al.  The Role and Contribution of Maintenance in Sustainable Manufacturing , 2013, MIM.

[10]  Małgorzata Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek,et al.  MAINTENANCE IN SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING , 2014 .

[11]  J. Wada,et al.  Method to evaluate the degradation condition of transformer insulating oil - establishment of the evaluation method and application to field transformer oil , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[12]  Abeer A. Alhadi,et al.  Understanding the chemistry behind the antioxidant activities of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT): a review. , 2015, European journal of medicinal chemistry.

[13]  N. Fritze,et al.  Reliability and vulnerability of transformers for electricity transmission and distribution , 2015 .

[14]  R. Jadim,et al.  Maximum acceptable concentrations of dbds, sulphur mercaptan and optimal concentration of passivators for safe and prolonged operation of power transformers , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[15]  M. Pompili,et al.  Natural esters distribution transformers: A solution for environmental and fire risk prevention , 2016, 2016 AEIT International Annual Conference (AEIT).

[16]  Tapan Kumar Saha,et al.  A Joint Vibration and Arcing Measurement System for Online Condition Monitoring of Onload Tap Changer of the Power Transformer , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

[17]  G. Broman,et al.  A framework for strategic sustainable development , 2017 .

[18]  Sophie Hallstedt,et al.  Company Risk Management in Light of the Sustainability Transition , 2018, Sustainability.

[19]  J. Schulte,et al.  WORKSHOP METHOD FOR EARLY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT , 2018 .

[20]  M. Yahaya,et al.  Effect of Pre-Determined Maintenance Repair Rates on the Health Index State Distribution and Performance Condition Curve Based on the Markov Prediction Model for Sustainable Transformers Asset Management Strategies , 2018, Sustainability.

[21]  Ajith Kumar Parlikad,et al.  A Markovian model for power transformer maintenance , 2018, International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems.

[22]  Young Zaidey Yang Ghazali,et al.  Application of Markov Model to Estimate Individual Condition Parameters for Transformers , 2018 .

[23]  Mario Manana,et al.  Dissolved Gas Analysis Equipment for Online Monitoring of Transformer Oil: A Review , 2019, Sensors.

[24]  Hailey Vidler,et al.  Taking Care to Change Trajectory: Exploring an integrated process of Collective Narrative Practices and Strategic Sustainable Development , 2019 .

[25]  H. Hernandez-Herrera,et al.  Natural ester fluids applications in transformers as a sustainable dielectric and coolant , 2019, XIAMEN-CUSTIPEN WORKSHOP ON THE EQUATION OF STATE OF DENSE NEUTRON-RICH MATTER IN THE ERA OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVE ASTRONOMY.

[26]  A. O. Akumu,et al.  Power Transformer Fault Severity Estimation Based on Dissolved Gas Analysis and Energy of Fault Formation Technique , 2019, J. Electr. Comput. Eng..

[27]  Anders Ingwald,et al.  A Review Study of Condition Monitoring and Maintenance Approaches for Diagnosis Corrosive Sulphur Deposition in Oil-Filled Electrical Transformers , 2019, Studies in Big Data.

[28]  Qiang Liu,et al.  Effect of Oil Regeneration on Improving Paper Conditions in a Distribution Transformer , 2019, Energies.

[29]  Fahad S. Al-Mubaddel,et al.  Risk of Fire and Explosion in Electrical Substations Due to the Formation of Flammable Mixtures , 2020, Scientific Reports.

[30]  S. Saetta,et al.  Lean production as a tool for green production: the Green Foundry case study , 2020, Procedia Manufacturing.

[31]  J. Schulte,et al.  Strategic Sustainability Risk Management in Product Development Companies: Key Aspects and Conceptual Approach , 2020, Sustainability.

[32]  K. Arrhenius,et al.  Analytical methods for the determination of oil carryover from CNG/biomethane refueling stations recovered in a solvent , 2020 .

[33]  M. Kans,et al.  A relevant condition monitoring of corrosive sulphur deposition on the windings of oil-filled electrical transformers , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[34]  Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab Kadir,et al.  Application of Statistical Distribution Models to Predict Health Index for Condition-Based Management of Transformers , 2021, Applied Sciences.